


Break Through and Remember (Krii7y)

by IAmNotAGoodWriter



Series: Break Through and Remember [1]
Category: Banana Bus Squad, Real Person Fiction, Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dystopia, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fluff, Gen, How Do I Tag, Hurt/Comfort, Illusions, M/M, Memory Loss, Mild Language, Partially inspired by The Good Place
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-31
Updated: 2019-04-18
Packaged: 2019-10-01 22:12:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 10,690
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17252327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IAmNotAGoodWriter/pseuds/IAmNotAGoodWriter
Summary: John is in heaven. Literal heaven. Not the kind you reach after you die if you’re a good person, no. Heaven on earth, as strange as it sounds. At least, he thinks it’s on earth, he’s not sure. Wherever it is, It’s paradise. He wakes up each morning, breakfast and coffee made for him just how he likes it, in a house he could’ve only dreamed for and surrounded by the nicest, most amazing people he’s ever met. He can have anything, just how he wants it, just by clicking his fingers. Half the time he’s surprised he’s not in the afterlife.Recently though, things haven’t been going just how he likes it. Small flashes of memories resurface every so often, always including one person. Sometimes they’re happy, like the person laughing, others are them begging for John to stay or to come back. He knows he’s not meant to remember. The people here get mad when he does, but he can’t help but want to remember who this person was and why he feels so... sad when remembering them.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, this is my first fic on ao3. Don’t expect too many great things or a good upload schedule, but I’ll try my best.

You know, at this point John was surprised he wasn’t sick of waking up in Paradise. Every morning he’d be woken up at precisely 7.45 AM by one of his friends who’d then get him his food. He'd sit and eat for a bit, get up and get ready, then look around for whatever was offered to him. Even after so long, it was bliss. Upon stepping out his house, he was greeted with the world’s helper, Catie. Think of them like a human with a robot conscience.  
“Good morning Johnathan, today’s choice of activities are as follows. We have mountain climbing, skydiving, kayaking, baking and music lessons. Would you like me to take you anywhere?”  
John though for a few moments before turning back to her, “No thanks, C. I just feel like relaxing. Now, kindly fuck off.”  
Catie nodded and de-materialised, leaving John alone to admire the scenery.

Fumbling around in his pocket for a few seconds, he pulled out his vape and took a long hit.  
“Jesus, this is the life..." He murmured, blowing out clouds of sweetened smoke. If there was one thing he loved about paradise, it was the scenery. John never considered himself to be a soft kind of guy, but the beauty of everything just got to him. Paradise was filled with lush forests, crystal blue rivers and oceans, waterfalls and underground caves. Hell, you could even find a small valley resembling an oasis if you headed South-East long enough. Not to mention the food. Although he lived primarily on fast foods, John still found himself enjoying the exotic, kind of strange fruits and vegetables that grew all over Paradise. Some days you could find common things like mangos and strawberries, others there were pink, green and gold fruits he couldn't even name. If you got tired of that, all you had to do was call for Catie and you could order anything completely free.

Even though today was just like every other, something felt off. It wasn’t that obvious, it was just a slight uneasy feeling in the back of his mind, like a tiny voice or sound. He closed his eyes for a second, concentrating on the feeling. He couldn’t hear much, but it was there. It was hard to make out the whole thing, but he could hear ‘Please... real... away... fight.. re-‘ Before it went silent, almost like a signal dropping. Opening his eyes, John sighed and flopped onto his back.  
“Catie? Stop whatever weird mental-broadcast thingy was playing, it’s giving me a headache.” Catie appeared beside him, looking as perplexed as a semi-human machine could. “I’m sorry, I do not understand the question. There was no broadcast playing, but if you have a headache, I can get you some pain medication.” She offered. John sighed and sat up, pressing a hand to his forehead. “Nah, I’m good, C. You’d think in Paradise there’d be no god damn headaches but no...”  
“Well, I do hope you feel better, Johnathan. Goodbye.”  
John nodded and waved his hand as she disappeared, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Fucking Christ, what is going on today? Whatever, it'll probably go away soon... It better." He murmured to himself.  



	2. Chapter 2

“Dammit! So fucking close..." Smitty sighed, slumping down against the old shack's wall. "Marcel, can you tell what went wrong?”  
“Nah, sorry man. I think they just... saw the signal and deleted it. Sorry, Smit.”   
“It’s fine. We can try again, I guess. I'll talk to Brian later, he might know what failed.”  
Marcel turned to him, placing a hand on his shoulder.  
“We’ll get him back, I promise.”  
Smitty sniffed and wiped away the tears threatening to spill over his eyelids. Marcel turned to leave and Smitty whispered to himself, “I hope...”

~Small time jump~  
Smitty opened his tent, flopped onto his mattress and sighed, rummaging around his backpack for his voice recorder. Placing it in front of him, he clicked the button to begin recording.  
"Attempt 23 just failed. We at least know that Brian's transmitter works, but I'm not sure how to get through to John if they can just detect a signal and remove it. I know we made a breakthrough and all, but it's so hard to stay optimistic all the time... I miss him. Tyler's been saying we should just go in guns blazing and break him out now, I swear he's gone insane. We still need to wait for Craig to find us weapons, and besides, we're outnumbered! Can't save John if we're dead, after all." He chuckled weakly, "Still, Tyler's idea is shaping up to be our only option, and if things continue this way, I think we just might have to go through with it. End recording." Tossing the recorder beside his mattress, Smitty unzipped his tent and went outside to greet the others.

The others were all huddled around the fire. Brian was fiddling with a machine, doing a great job ignoring Nogla's billion questions. Tyler was cooking some rations over the fire, occasionally looking up to laugh at Brian's misfortune. Quickly, he was greeted by Craig, who came up to him and patted his shoulder sympathetically.   
"Hey Smit... How ya holding up?"  
"Fine, I guess... Any news about getting the weapons?"  
Craig's face lit up brightly.   
"Oh yeah! I was meaning to tell you about that. I was looking around the forest area and it turns out that if you head around the dense area, there's a few abandoned factories people must use as dealing spots. There's tons of hidden ammo and weapons, but it's a little hard to get to." He explained  
Smitty nodded, pure determination shining on his face.   
"Right. Are we all going together to grab them?" He asked.  
"I'm going if we get to go through with Tyler's plan!" Nogla yelled from across the campsite.  
"We'll consider it, Nogla..." Craig sighed, running a hand through his hair.  
"Aw, come on man! We get to blow people up, what's not to love about that?"  
"Well-."  
"Thats my point!" Tyler interrupted, already putting on his helmet. "Plus, its easier than going with Marcel and Brian's plan."  
"We could die, Tyler! It's not like we can just waltz into the city, you know it's not like it used to be."  
"Craig, we're low on rations. We needed to go anyway, and it'll basically just be like a food heist. We either go or we stay here and starve without getting John back!"  
"Food heists are different! You know John's being held in the city center, not the outskirts. Who knows how well-guarded the center is?"  
"Boys, boys, relax." Smitty interjected. "We'll all go get the weapons and if Brian and Marcel can't figure something else out, we can consider Tyler's idea. But it is a last resort, remember that."  
"Fiiine, but I call dibs on explosives." Nogla groaned, tying the laces on his boots. "Lead the way, Craig."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry the first two chapters have been filler. I’ll delve into the plot next chapter, and maybe add some more characters ;) Leave a comment, let me know what you think please! Love you all!  
> -L


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not too proud of this chapter - I wrote it in the car while dealing with writer’s block. I’ve written part of future chapters which should be better.

Safe to say, things did not get better for John.  
His headache continued to rise in intensity to the point where he could barely stand up. To top that off, he was completely nauseous and he kept having blinding flashed of memories. He’d ordered some painkillers, medicine and water from Catie but it wasn’t helping at all. Rolling over in his bed, John groaned at placed a cool cloth on his forehead.  
“Jesus fucking Christ... Catie, what the hell is happening?”  
Immediately, Catie appeared beside his bed.  
“I am sorry, Johnathan, but I do not know why your headache is persisting. May I be of service in another way?”  
John nodded. “Yeah, can you tell me what the hell keeps going through my head? I keep seeing flashes of... this guy. It hurts to remember it...”  
As if someone had flipped a switch, Catie froze up and stared stiffly at John.  
“Johnathan, forgive me but did you just say you were... remembering?”  
“... yes?”  
“I see.” She nodded grimly. “I wish you the best of luck with your headache, I must attend to something.”  
“Wait-!”  
She disappeared before John could say another word.  
“Fucking Christ... The hell's going on?" He mumbled to himself.  
He sat up as best he could, pressing a hand to his forehead and wincing before dragging himself out of bed. Taking a few wobbly steps, he walked out his front door the best he could. 

John leant against a tree, taking in deep breaths and attempting to collect himself. He started walking towards the eastern waterfall, before he was stopped by Catie.  
"Johnathan, please sit down for a moment." She ordered.  
He sat down, shrinking under Catie's glare.  
"We have come to a general consensus. Due to some outside interference, we decided you need to be reset, along with Paradise 231B. Trust me, you'll feel much better after we do this."  
"Wha- reset?! The hell do you mean? Who’s ‘we’?”  
"I suppose there is no harm in telling you now. Your memories will be wiped completely, save for a few key elements. This world shall also be reset as we attempt to figure out how the unwanted interference was not managed appropriately. This decision was made by me and the council. They manage what we do with your paradise and decide why we need you. When you are no longer useful, they decide how to dispose of you.”  
John stood up as best he could.  
"What the fuck?! You can't do this! Catie, I order you to stop whatever the hell you're doing, now!"  
"I'm sorry, but you do not have that authority. Enjoy your reset!"

As Catie disappeared, John noticed the world around him fade, like the colour was being washed out and drained. As it slowly faded, the ground he was on began to break up and disintegrate in chunks. Pushing down the pain and nausea that still seemed to be intensifying, John ran, searching for anything that could possibly stop the reset. "Come on, come on!" He cried. "There's gotta be something..!"  
As the world violently shook, he was thrown headfirst to the ground. The familiar taste of metallic blood filled his mouth as he tore a chunk out of his check from the impact. With the wind knocked out of him and migraines blinding him, all John could do was curl up and watch as the world shook and crumbled around him through tear-filled eyes. When most of the landscape had gone, he was left alone, floating in an endless dark void. Tears streaming down his face, he hopelessly gripped onto whatever memories he deemed important. Catie’s betrayal, his name, who he was and whatever he could think of about his past life or the mystery person. He started to panic and flail as the details of all his thoughts and memories begun to slip away. As he felt his memories drain away like sand, he was overcome with a feeling of... calm. It washed over him, relaxing him until he couldn’t remember why he was crying. 

Drifting around the void was quite calming, especially when you couldn’t remember any of your worries. As John floated around, he wondered where he was. After all, he couldn’t remember getting there, or anything leading up to him being there. After a few moments of struggling to conjure up a memory, he gave up. He wasn’t in danger, so what’s the point of trying? He thought. His peace was interrupted by a loud rumbling and a flash of blinding white. When he opened his eyes, he was lying in a soft queen bed, wrapped in a large comforter and surrounded by pillows.  
“Good morning, Johnathan, and welcome to Paradise! My name is Catie, I will be your guide and assistant. Do you have any questions?” A woman asked, smiling softly at him.  
“Am I.. dead? Is this heaven?”  
“No Johnathan, this is your own Paradise, made just for you!”


	4. Chapter 4

"Come on man, we've been walking for hours!" Tyler moaned. "Are you even sure we're going the right way?"  
Craig sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.   
"Yes, Tyler we're going the right way. You've asked that seven fucking times already!”   
“Are we close?”  
“Oh my god...” He mumbled. “Yes. We’ll be there in about five minutes. It’s not like a little walking will kill you.”   
“It might as well...” Nogla cut in.  
Smitty shook his head, watching his friend’s antics unfold from a few steps behind. Too lost in thought to join in, he simply kept walking at an even pace behind them, taking in the scenery. He loved his friends, but sometimes it was nice to have a bit of time to think. 

Unfortunately, his thinking time didn’t last long. He was snapped out of his thoughts by Craig, who had pushed apart some shrubbery and called, “We’re here!” At the top of his lungs.   
“Ugh, finally! Race ya there, suckers!” Nogla shouted as he sprinted towards the warehouses.  
”Nogla, slow down! Fucking hell... how’s he not been taken before again?” Smitty said to himself, jogging towards the warehouses, Tyler and Craig not far behind him. When they caught up to Nogla, he was struggling to break a padlock chain keeping the entrance shut.   
“Move aside, pussy. Ya boy Wildcat’s got this.” Tyler said, shoving him out of the way and pulling out a small knife. Skillfully picking the lock, the threw the chain to the ground and pulled open the doors.  
”Jesus Christ this place is huge! Where’d you say the weapons were, Craig?” Smitty called out, his voice bouncing around the warehouse and echoing back to him.   
“Ah yeah, they were stashed up in the lower levels. Just take the stairs.“  
As the group ran down the stairs, Craig pushed them aside and pulled away a floorboard, revealing several large crates.

“How the fuck did ya end up finding this?” Nogla asked as he dug through the a crate.  
“Hey, It’d pretty easy for you to find stuff like this if you escaped the way I did.”  
Nogla chuckled. “Yep, thas’ why we sent you to get the weapons!”  
“Dude this is so cool! They’ve got fucking everything here!” Tyler exclaimed, holding up a shotgun for inspection.  
As Smitty walked up to a crate, he brushed off a thin layer of dust covering the top, revealing a logo.   
“Guys, there’s a logo here. Look.”  
Everyone clustered around the crate. The logo was simple, just the name ‘Misfitz’ engraved in the wood.  
“Misfitz? What’s that?” Tyler asked  
“I dunno. Craig, you’ve been in the city longer. Heard anything about ‘Misfitz’?”  
“Hm... I heard some rumours, but they were mostly just of a group of people who supposedly escaped. I think they were just inspirational stories, though.”  
“Well, it’s all ours now! Look, they got grenades here!” Nogla yelled, stuffing his backpack full of explosives.  
“Well boys, get to looting!”

They rifled through the crates, pulling out countless firearms and ammo, choosing which ones to stash.   
“How the hell are we gonna carry all o’ this?” Nogla asked through gritted teeth as he struggled to lift his backpack.   
“I’ll just carry a crate, I guess. I’m sure Brian and Marcel will appreciate if we bring some extra metal, too. Everyone’s backpack full?” Tyler replied, hoisting a crate up with great difficulty.  
“Yeah, I think we’re ready to go now. C’mon everyone, we have a massive hike ahead of us!” Craig said, dragging Smitty and Nogla by their shirts.   
Nogla and Tyler groaned.  
“One of you better help me with this crate at some point! It’s already really heavy.” Tyler whined.  
“Come on guys, at least have some enthusiasm. It’ll be good exercise!”  
“Shut up, Craig. Jesus Christ, you sound like a dad.” Smitty chuckled.  
Craig laughed heartily. “Yeah, I’m like a dad rounding up his kids!”  
“Alright ‘dad’, we gotta go if we want to make it back before Brian gets worried.”  
“Right, right. Off we go, ‘kids!’”

They trudged home, occasionally stopping to rest or pass the crate over. They got back just before sunset, where Marcel and Brian had already started cooking some food.  
“Fucking hell, took you look enough!” Marcel called out, waving them towards the fire.  
“Yeah, you try carrying this crate the whole way! Anyways, we brought you some scraps as well as a shit ton of guns.” Tyler replied, dropping the crate on the ground.  
“How’s the signal transmitter going? Any progress?” Smitty asked.  
Brian winced. “Uh, not really. Something happened to the firewall. I think they figured out what we’re doing and changed their security. I hate to say this, but I think we need to go with Tyler’s plan.”  
“Hell yeah bitches! Guns blazing! When are we going?” Tyler cheered, pumping his fists in the air.  
“Probably around tomorrow, but we have to go early, and everyone needs to wear some kind of dark clothing. It’s still going to be like a stealth mission, don’t get your hopes up, Nogla.”   
“Aw come on! Every fockin time...” Nogla frowned.  
Craig stood up and stretched. “Well, if we have to go early, we should probably go to bed now.”  
“Right.” Smitty nodded, walking towards his tent. “Goodnight, guys.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double posting today because I wanted to get this chapter out. I've re-written it a few times and I'm super proud of it!

The city was dead silent and dark, the neon glow of signs, drones and searchlights being the only source of luminance. Smitty and the others kept their heads down and covered with various hoods and black scarves. Craig had managed to break them in through hijacking an exports truck. It was strange, being back in the city. It almost felt like home. Occasionally, Smitty would glance up and meet the eyes of someone in the towers above, but he knew they wouldn’t turn him in. After all, the other citizens envied him. A life of freedom, no matter how sparse food and water may be, was more desirable than one in the city. He wasn’t sure when the gates were shut permanently, but all he knew was that many years ago, exiting the city was made illegal. Him and his friends were lucky to be alive.

Quickly, the silence of the city was snapped in half by a can falling to the ground. Whipping his head up in alarm, Smitty looked around before turning back to Tyler, who looked just as scared as he did.   
“What happened?” Craig asked, his voice barely even a whisper.  
“Not sure, but we have to keep going. Come on, we’ve still got the weapons if we need them.” Smitty urged him.  
Craig nodded, pulling his hood tighter around his head. They continued on with caution, before passing by a back alley leading straight to the city’s core.   
“Guys, down here.” Marcel waved them towards the alley, dagger gripped tightly in his hand.  
The group trailed behind him, pausing when they heard the sound of footsteps. Looking around cautiously, Nogla pulled out a stun grenade. Before he could use it, Nogla was tackled to the ground by a short man in a knight’s helmet, the grenade clattering uselessly to the ground beside them.  
“Nobody fucking move!” Someone shouted.

Marcel and Tyler ran to help, pushing the man off of Nogla and swiping at him with their knives, tearing his clothes and drawing blood.  
"Back the fuck up, I'll blow your brains out!" The man yelled, whipping out two pistols before anyone could grab their guns.   
Tyler attempted to resist, pulling out his shotgun. The man saw and charged at him, knocking it out of his hands.  
“The fuck did I just say?!” He paused to glance around at the others. He trapped Tyler in a headlock and pressed a gun up to his forehead head as he stared at Smitty and the others.  
“Hands up, now, or this little shit gets it in the head.”  
Raising his hands immediately, Smitty looked around to see more attackers approaching. 

A group of five had emerged from the shadows, the man in the helmet quickly letting go of Tyler and going over to join them. Each of them wielded numerous firearms and assorted melee weapons, ranging from small knives to a metal bat. A tall, blonde man stepped forward, pointing a rifle at Smitty and his friends.   
“Make a single god damn move and I put a bullet through all of your skulls. Got it?”  
All Smitty could do was nod.  
"Drop all of your weapons, knives included. Pull a quick one on us and I'll get Creamy to show you how quick kneecaps can break."  
The group complied, hastily emptying their backpacks and dropping everything they had.  
“Now, I want you to answer some questions for me.” He demanded, pointing at Craig, who looked close to fainting.  
“First off, who the fuck are you guys and why are you here?”  
Craig swallowed and shakily replied, “My name’s Craig. My friends here are Brian, Tyler, Nogla, Marcel and Smitty. We’ve escaped from the city and are coming back to get our friend out.”   
"Fucking liars! We know you've been sent by them! How else would you have gotten guns from our stockpile warehouse?"   
"What do you mean?! We've been on the outside for years and just came across some abandoned warehouses!" Craig cried.  
"Cam, calm down... You know the agents aren't sent on the outside.” A man clad in a hood and facemask said, gripping the blonde man's arm and pulling him back.   
"Yeah yeah, don't patronize me, Jay."  
“So, one of yours got taken too, huh?” Jay asked softly.  
Craig nodded.  
“I get that. We found Swagger here after he’d been taken a few months. Lotta memory damage, poor guy can’t even remember his own name.” The blonde one said, motioning to the man in the helmet.

“My name’s Cam, but I go by Fitz most of the time. We all have code names here, just in case. Kid with the face mask is Jay, aka McCreamy. Only one who hasn’t been taken before, lucky fucker. Bald one over here is Zuckles, aka Mason. He’s a little fucked but he’s alright most of the time. One in the helmet’s SwaggerSouls, as you’ve learned. The kiwi next to me is Toby, he just goes by John sometimes, and the other American is Matt, aka iNoToRiOuS. The citizens call us the Misfitz. We’re rather famous around here. Sorry for the hostility earlier, we never thought it was possible to live on the outside, so I just assumed you were lying to get to us.”  
“Nice to meet yas, but can I get an apology for being fockin rugby tackled? I coulda gotten a concussion, fer Christ’s sake!” Nogla yelled, rubbing the area where his head hit the concrete.   
“Well what was I meant to do? I saw the grenade you had, after all. But, I guess I owe it to ya. Sorry for tackling you, whatever your name is.” Swagger said  
“It’s Nogla. Tanks for the apology, and sorry 'bout yer clothes."  
Swagger just nodded.

“Well boys, why don’t the rest of you introduce yourselves properly? It’s not everyday we see some new escapees.” Toby piped up.  
“Right, right.” Smitty said. “I’m Smitty, you’ve already been introduced to Nogla, the guy you interrogated is Craig. He’s kinda like a dad here. The one with the missing eye is Brian. He lost it when escaping and managed to build himself a new mechanical one on his own. The guy Swager used as a hostage is Tyler. He’s a shit strategist but a good fighter, although he did manage to plan our trip here. Last but not least you have Marcel. He’s like Brian’s assistant, as they both work in tech and signal transmitters.”  
“Signal transmitters? The fuck are they ‘n why’re ya focusing on them?” Mason asked.  
Brian grinned. “Well, we figured out a way to help get our friend back. Because Paradise is a digital world, signals can be easily sent through, letting us transmit audio messages. It’s been nearly fully successful, but it just didn’t work because there’s so little tech on the outside to make devices with.”  
“Holy shit that’s smart.”  
“So wait,” Matt interjected. “You can just use something like a radio and break through the field?”   
“It takes some coding, and you have to pass through the firewall first, but essentially yeah.”   
"Wow. You’ve gotta teach us some tech at some point. Our way is to just go in, molotovs out and guns blazing.”  
“Yeah, guns blazing was Tyler’s idea...”   
“You bet your ass it was!” Tyler shouted. “I still think it's a good idea. More simple than a stealth mission."  
"Need I remind you that we're only six people, Tyler?" Marcel sighed.

Toby turned to Fitz, whispering something in his ear. Fitz nodded and turned to address the others.   
"Well boys, seeing as you're outnumbered, we'd like to offer a bit of help. It’s been way too long since we’ve been able to have some fun, and you guys seem pretty chill. All we need in exchange is enough ammo and a few rations. Harder to get them in here than on the outskirts, believe it or not."  
Smitty turned to the others, all of them nodding in agreement.   
"Fuck it, we'll do it." He said, offering his hand to Fitz.  
Fitz shook his hand and grinned. "Welcome to the Misfitz, boys."


	6. Chapter 6

"Fucking hell Toby, get out of the way!"  
"Sorry, sorry!"  
"Shut up you two! Just 'cause you have weapons doesn't mean you can be as loud as you want." Fitz whispered harshly, hitting Mason over the head with his gun.  
"Ow! Yeah whatever cunt..." Mason mumbled, rubbing the top of his head.  
The two groups were making their way into the city core, being lead by Swagger, who claimed to know a shorcut into the containment areas. They treaded silently along the damp, darkened alley before they came to a stop at the base of a large, modern building.  
“This is it boys. There’s a few skylights and windows up top, use your knives to scale the wall.” Matt instructed.  
Smitty pulled out a small pouch of sturdy daggers, handing them out to his friends.   
“Hang in there, John.” He whispered to himself as he started to climb the wall. “We’re coming to get you out.”

Tyler was first to reach the top, breaking through the screws keeping a window shut and lifting it cautiously. Looking around below, he turned to the others and nodded.  
“All clear. C’mon, I’ll go first.” He whispered.  
He landed with a soft thud on the ground, the others quickly following.  
“Everyone know where the containment room and guards are?” Swagger asked quietly.  
Everyone nodded in affirmation.  
“Right. Smitty, Marcel, Brian and Matt, you guys should take the vents so it’s easier to get your friend out. The rest of us will take out the guards. We’ll catch up to you in the room.”  
“Good luck everyone...” Craig said, drawing in a deep breath.  
Smitty nodded and ran off quietly, leading his group to the vents. 

They arrived at the vent covers without trouble. Smitty pulled out his knife and unscrewed the cover, placing it on the ground gently.   
"Matt, you lead the way." He whispered.  
Matt nodded and climbed in, followed by the others. The group set off, crouching low and taking cautious, silent steps. The vents were small and cramped, just big enough for Smitty to sit upright in. The metal was cold and slippery, making the stealth mission harder than he imagined. After numerous lefts, rights, and even downward drops, Matt finally turned around and whispered, "We're here."  
Kicking open the vent cover, he hopped onto the floor and waited for the others.  
When Smitty landed, he took a few moments to recollect himself and look around. The room was stark white with grey tiles decorating the floor and ceiling. Random plugs and cables were strewn about on the ground, connecting to three of numerous glowing blue pods, similar to coffins. All three were connected by large tubes and wires that lead to a small computer screen in the corner. He walked past the pods, seeing most empty. 

"Guys, I found John!" Marcel said, and before the group could react, Smitty had dashed over beside him. Lo and behold, there was John, lying peacfully.  
"Oh my god..." Smitty whispered, tears welling up in his eyes.   
He had finally found him. It had taken months, maybe over a year, but here he was. John was right there, in front of him, and Smitty could barely believe his eyes. He still looked exactly the same as when they lost him, bleached shoulder-length hair, red, yellow and blue striped hoodie and a ludicrous amount of rings he insisted on wearing.   
Marcel patted Smitty's shoulder sympathetically.  
"Stay here bud, Brian and I will get him out."  
Smitty nodded weakly, unable to tear his eyes away from John. He remembered every detail from the day he was taken. It was John's turn to grab rations for the month and Smitty volunteered to go with him, seeing as John couldn't sneak around to save his life. Smitty had tried to pursuade him to wear his darker hoodie, but he refused. John could be incredibly stubborn, so he just let it be. It was only a small mission, after all. The duo had ventured into the city, climbing the wall and taking their regular route to the storage units. Smitty knew where he went wrong. Someone must have caught a glimpse of John's hoodie or Smitty's 3D glasses or whatever else was they couldn't be bothered to camouflage when they slipped into the light. Neither of them thought it would matter that day, but as soon as he heard the sound of a tranquilizer gun go off, Smitty knew it was over. John had pushed him out of the way, screaming for him to go. Smitty tried so hard to fight, tried so hard to pull the dart off John and run before it was too late, but all he could do was watch as his friend's unconscious body was dragged away by guards. He could almost laugh about how cliché it was now. He never told the others what happened, guilt settling into his stomach and pushing any confidence away everytime he tried to tell them.   
Shaking his head to clear himself of his thoughts, Smitty turned his attention back to the pod.

Brian was sat at the computer, breaking through passwords and security measures with ease.  
"Pod number 3... Okay..." He murmured. "While we're here, there's only two other used pods, should I just break them out as well?"  
Matt nodded.   
"Sure, where's the harm?"  
"Alright..." Brian nodded, taking in a deep breath. "Smitty, stand back a bit, I'm opening John's pod."  
Smitty took a step back, hands clenched in anticipation. The lid of the pod slid open and Marcel pulled him out, laying him down on the ground.  
Smitty knelt down, shaking John awake.   
"John, wake up! It's me, Smitty."  
John pried his eyes open slowly, sitting up and looking around. Smitty tackled him in a hug, tears falling from his eyes.   
"Oh my god, holy fuck, holy fuck... Y-you're finally back! I can't believe it!"   
To Smitty's dismay, when John met his gaze, there was no sign of the usual playful glint in his eyes, or even a hint of recognition. John pushed him away and looked around confusedly.  
"Wh... Where the fuck am I?!"  
Smitty's smile faltered.  
"Well-"  
"No, no no! I wanna go back! Let me back!" John sobbed, cutting Smitty off.  
He started to struggle, fighting against Marcel's attempt to calm him down. Smitty grabbed onto his wrists tightly.  
"John, please! What's wrong with you?" He cried, recoiling as John thrashed around and threw frantic punches in Smitty's direction. Matt sighed sadly and walked over, pulling out a syringe and pushing it into John's neck, who fell limp instantly.   
"I'm so sorry, Smitty. He's delusional, and he will be for a while. We have to take him back to a safe spot, then we can sort it out. I should've warned you." He said, sorrow evident in his tone.  
Smitty merely nodded, holding back tears and curling in on himself. What was he thinking? He knew what being in paradise could do to a person, but he still felt himself be let down by John's lack of response. Sighing and wiping his eyes, he turned to face Matt.  
"Have any more of that sedating stuff? We've still got two pods to break out."  
Matt checked his backpack. "More than enough. Brian, open them up."

The group ran to pod 1, ready to pull the person out. Once the lid opened, they got a good look at the man inside. He looked to be from asian descent, with jet black hair and a red jacket paired with black jeans. They pulled him out and layed him on the floor, shaking him to wake him up. He seemed more calm than John was, sitting up looking around with minimal panic.  
"What the fuck... Where am I?" He asked, a Canadian accent discernible from his shaky voice.  
"We had to save you. You got taken by them and they tricked you. Wherever you were, whatever it was like, it wasn't real."  
"...what?"  
Smitty sighed. He was not good at explanations. "What's your name?"  
The man thought for a moment, as if he had forgotten. "M-my name? Um... Evan, I think. What's going on? Why can't I go back? What do you mean it wasn't real? Where's Jonathan?" Evan asked, a few tears welling up in his eyes as his breaths became quicker and more frantic.  
Matt sighed, plunging the syringe into his neck.  
"Next pod." He said, refilling the syringe with more liquid.

Brian nodded and opened pod 2. Inside was another man, similar colour hair to Evan, but he was wearing a light blue hoodie, and his face was covered by a hockey mask.   
"Jeeze, this is givin' me flashbacks to when we first found Swagger. I wonder if this one actually takes off the mask..." Matt murmured absentmindedly as he pulled the man out.  
Smitty barely had to shake the man, as he sprung upright and grabbed Smitty's wrist, yelping in surprise.   
"What the hell?!"  
Smitty flinched backwards as the man flailed around for a few moments.   
"Hey hey, relax. It's okay, everything's okay." Smitty urged, trying to make his voice soothing.  
"Where is he? What happened? What did you do to me? To him?! Wh-" The man was cut off by the sedation, falling limply at Marcel's feet.  
"Don't try to help, Smit. There's no point. Everyone's confused when they're broken out." Matt said, patting Smitty's shoulder sympathetically  
"Jeeze, that one was fucking delirious. Wonder what went on in his paradise." Marcel chuckled, kicking the man's arm lightly. 

The group turned their heads to the door, numerous screams, gunshots, cheers and even explosions echoed throughout the corridors outside.   
Matt rolled his eyes and chuckled. "Looks like Mason's having fun."  
The noises gradually came closer, until the door that lead into the containment room was broken in.   
Mason stuck his head in, blood smeared on his cheek and weapons, a wicked grin on his face.  
"G'day boys! That was a fuckin' mission success! Showed those cunts whose boss, every single one of 'em!" He hollered, Jay and Nogla whooping in agreement behind him.   
"Hell yeah bitches!" Tyler cheered as he stumbled forward, Craig trailing worriedly behind him with numerous bandages in hand.  
Fitz rolled his eyes and held back a grin, murmuring a few quiet remarks about mental age and children to Toby, who held back a snicker. Swagger laughed heartily, pulling Mason away from Jay, who was trying to pick the kiwi up and hold him in the air, screaming something about being an MVP.   
"Fuckin' chimp." Swagger chuckled, shoving Mason playfully.  
Smitty couldn't help but smile, despite the dread seeping into his mind.   
Tyler slung his arm around him, doing his best to fend off Craig, who was attempting to fix up the numerous cuts on Tyler's legs and arms.  
"What's wrong, Smit? You look like someone killed your puppy or some shit." He asked.  
"Tyler!" Craig scolded.   
"What? I'm just asking!"  
Craig turned around and saw John on the ground, unconscious.  
"He was delusional, wasn't he?"   
Smitty nodded.  
"I get that. He should be fine after - Jesus Christ Tyler, hold still!- five days, maybe less."  
"Yeah, yeah... Its just... Fucked. We broke some others out too, they were so confused and scared as well, it hurt to watch." Smitty mumbled.  
Craig rubbed his back soothingly. "It's alright Smit, they're all going to be fine."

Smitty smiled and mumbled a thank you, picking himself up and stretching.  
"So, who's gonna carry John and the other two?" He asked, looking around at his friends.  
"I'll take the one in the red, Tyler can take the one with rings, and lucky Mason here gets to carry the masked one because he nearly fucked us over with a grenade!" Swagger instructed, elbowing Mason, who look sheepish.  
"Hey, I didn't fuck you's over, I helped!" He retorted, punching Swagger lightly.  
Marcel stood up and gathered his backpack.  
"Are we taking the vents or what?" He asked  
"No need!" Nogla laughed. "We told you, took out every one of those fockers in sight! Either way, if there's any o' em left, we'll jus' gun em down."  
"Alright, boys!" Fitz said. "Lead the way to the outside, me and the other Misfitz wanna see what it's all about!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait! Been focusing on art and music a bit more. Should be back to writing more often soon. Thanks for reading! -L


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the massive wait! I’ve been lacking motivation and school started again so I’ve been quite busy. Updates will most likely still be very sparse. I’ve also been focusing on drawing more, so go follow me on Insta @laitrebel.art if you want to see Misfitz or BBS art

Fitz landed on the uneven, cracked ground with a thud. The rest of Misfitz followed, pushing past Smitty and the others to get a good look at their surroundings.  
“Holy shit, I haven’t seen this place in forever!” Jay exclaimed, a few tears forming in his widened eyes. He laughed and ran around, spinning in circles as he took in the scenery.  
“Oi, it reminds me of when I’d go and climb trees as a kid!” Mason said.  
Swagger stood there in silent awe, hands trembling slightly.  
“Hey Mason, race ya to the top of that tree!” Matt yelled, breaking into a sprint.  
Mason quickly dropped the masked man he was carrying and ran off after Matt. "Oh fuck you cunt!”  
“Boys, boys! Relax, you can see all of it later. We need to set up camp first.” Fitz said, nudging Smitty forward gently. “Lead the way, Smit.”  
“Oh, right. It’s South-East from here, we’re about one and a half hours out. If we get going now we’ll make it with plenty of time to spare.”  
“Ughhhh, fine!” Mason whined, rushing down the tree branches.  
“Can someone take this cunt? He’s really heavy and I’ve been carrying him the whole way.” Swagger piped up.  
“Yeah! You made me carry the goddamn crate and now I have to carry John!” Tyler yelled.   
“Ah fer fucks sake…” Brian mumbled. “Just give John to me and Evan to Marcel and stop bitching.”

The group set off, trudging towards the camp. The sky had turned a soft gold when they arrived, and a chill had set into the air. Brian, Mason and Marcel set those they were carrying on the ground, propping them up against a log.   
Fitz whistled. “So, this where you’ve been living all this time? Gotta say, more flashy than I expected.”   
“Yeah, thank Craig for putting it together. I think we’ve got some spare tents here, though you might have to double up. Marcel, go grab them.” Brain instructed.  
Smitty sat down next to the fire, head resting on his hands. “When can I wake up John?” He asked, turning to Matt.   
Matt shrugged, “Any time, but just let me know when. I’m not sure if he’ll have calmed down this time.”  
Smitty stood up, biting his lip nervously. “Let’s just go now… I don’t want to wait.”  
Matt nodded, picking up John and carrying him to the shack by the camp. Smitty waved for Craig to follow him and set off after Matt. John was lain on the ground and Smitty leaned over him, roughly shaking him until he woke up. John opened his eyes wearily and Smitty stood back, hands raised defensively. John shook his head, rubbing his eyes and looking around.  
“Wh- What happened? Where am I? What’s going on?” He asked, not a single sign of recognition in his tone, to Smitty’s dismay.  
“Hey, hey, relax. Everything’s fine, John. We had to get you out of paradise. Whatever you saw there, it wasn’t real. You’re back at our base now. You know this place. You know me, remember? It’s Smitty, I was your best friend. You’ve got to remember something, right?” He urged.  
John shook his head, shuffling backwards away from Smitty.   
“I… I don’t… I’ve never seen you before…”  
Smitty felt his heart drop.  
“No, you know who I am! I swear! We were so close… look!” He gestured to a red and blue ring on his hands. “You gave me this one morning. Said you found it in the city and it reminded you of me. You have to remember that at least!”   
“Look, I’m sorry but I don’t know who the fuck you are!” John spat.  
“Come in John, please!” Smitty pleaded, desperately grabbing his hands. “You do know who I am! You were my best friend for so long! How can you not remember any of it?”  
John yanked his hands out from Smitty’s grasp.   
“Get off of me dude!” He yelled, shoving Smitty onto the ground. “ I don’t know you! Just let it go and stop acting crazy!” 

Smitty lay there on the ground, paralysed, as he watched John storm off in a huff. He slowly sat up, eyes blank and hands shaking.   
Craig quickly rushed over to him, wrapping his arms around Smitty, who fought back waves tears.  
“He meant so much to me. I loved him… I loved him for so fucking long. I wanted to tell him so badly and then he disappeared. I spent so long trying to find him and now he’s right here but it was all for fucking nothing…” Smitty whispered, twisting the ring around his finger.  
Craig hugged him tighter in response.   
“He’s really gone forever now, isn’t he?” Smitty mumbled before breaking down, sobbing into Craig’s shoulder.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, very sorry about the wait! I’ve been dealing with exams and I was away on school camp for a week. Writers block is a bitch but my holidays start next week, so updates may get more frequent

Chapter outline- Jon and Evan are properly introduced and they remember small details. John deals with headaches and confusion

John sighed and swore through clenched teeth, pacing around the shack and fuming. Everything felt like too much to bear. He hadn't meant to snap at Smitty, but it was all too loud and confusing and the way he looked into John’s eyes made his heart ache in a way he couldn't fathom and he hated it. The sheer sadness and longing in Smitty’s voice was enough to hurt, and the way he sobbed and held onto the other man when John stormed off just… stung. He wanted to remember so badly, so that he could fix whatever he’d done and move on, but it was like he hit a brick wall whenever he searched deep into his mind. He was frustrated and confused and somehow he decided to take it out on Smitty. John slumped down against the rusted wall, head in his hands and breathing growing shaky. He couldn’t understand why he was so upset or what happened to him and why he felt so awful. This was his fault and he knew it, but he couldn’t fix it. Talking to Smitty would most likely cause too much pain for both of them, but it was the only thing he could think of.

He stood up and wiped his eyes, exiting the shack and trudging towards the campsite. He stopped at a distance and saw a few people there, laughing and joking with Smitty nowhere to be seen. He felt a small pain in his chest as he watched them, longing for something he couldn’t quite put his finger on. Shaking his head and sighing, he stepped forward again, wincing at the abrupt quiet and avoiding the silent questions in the eyes of the people around him.  
“Hey John, uh, how is it?” One of them asked cautiously, the same pain that Smitty felt reflected in their dark eyes.  
John looked up and murmured a small ‘fine’ in response.  
The man winced and bit his lip. “Still don’t remember, huh? I’m Marcel, that’s Tyler and that’s Brian.”  
John merely nodded. “Where’s Smitty?” He asked firmly.  
Marcel winced and glanced over at Brian.  
“Uh… he’s not doing the best.” He mumbled, clearing his throat awkwardly. “I think it’d be good if you left him alone.”  
“Listen, I need to see him. I can’t just stand here and do nothing when this is my fault.”  
Marcel shook his head and sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.   
“You’re still the same, after all these months, huh? Still just a stubborn prick.” He chuckled sadly. “He’s in the red tent with Craig. Be careful.”

John mumbled a thank you, hands clenched and shaking slightly, unable to comprehend his fear. He unzipped the tent and braced himself. Inside, Smitty was there, puffy-eyed and shaking, but otherwise better than before. Craig was right by his side, dramatically recounting a story in what seemed to be an attempt to cheer the other up. They noticed John almost immediately, and Craig caught himself mid sentence from surprise. Smitty’s breath hitched as he locked eyes with John.   
John smiled awkwardly and entered the tent, careful to watch Smitty’s expression as he held eye contact, sitting down and clearing his throat nervously.  
“Um, I’m sorry if you don’t really.. want to be around me now, but I uh, came to apologise.”  
John watched closely as Craig and Smitty tensed up slightly.  
“I’m sorry that I’m not.. who I was back before I got taken.” He continued. “It’d hurt a lot and I get that. I didn’t handle it well, at all, and that’s on me. It’s just… so confusing. It’s like I hit a huge roadblock when I try to remember you or the others. I want to be able to fix this, but I think I’d need you and your friends to help me remember. I hate to admit this, but I don’t think I can remember all on my own.”  
Smitty nodded slowly, drawing in deep breaths to calm himself down.   
“I can help.” He murmured.  
John smiled slightly. “Can you just.. tell me what I was like back then? Who was I?”   
Smitty thought for a moment, expression morphing into sadness as he recalled his life with John. 

“Well, um… you were the bravest and most daring back then. You always volunteered for the ration runs or any other missions Brian thought of. I would have to come with you, to keep you from getting caught.” He chuckled sadly, wiping his eyes with his sleeve. “You were stubborn, too. Kept on insisting that you should help out or that your plan was the best. You loved to go into the woods and think, you were never the loudest. We would always go together and walk around. You were so funny and sarcastic, but you’d always try to help if any of us were feeling down.” He stopped abruptly, cutting himself off with a small sob.   
John nodded sympathetically, encouraging him to continue.   
Smitty drew in a deep breath.   
“Sorry, sorry. I’ll keep going. When you got taken, when they sedated you, you shoved me out of the way and into the alley immediately, screaming for me to run. I tried so hard to help, to drag you away and get the goddamn dart out, but it didn’t work. I had no choice but to run. It’s my fucking fault I couldn’t save you in time and now we’ve got you back but I don’t even know if the real you is still in there.” His voice broke on the last sentence, tears freely cascading down his cheeks.  
John watched him silently, mulling over his thoughts for a moment. It stung, watching Smitty break down and unfold in front of him, especially when it was his fault.  
“Can you… can you remember anything? Anything at all?” Smitty asked as he watched John intently, desperation seeping into his tone and expression.   
“Small things. Like little still pictures, I guess. Random flashes of sounds or sights just pop into my head sometimes. It hurts, though.”   
Smitty nodded, sighing defeatedly.   
“I should’ve guessed…”  
John frowned.  
“Look, I’m so sorry Smit…”  
“Don’t.” Smitty spat, glaring at John for a moment until tears once again made their way to his eyes.   
“I’m sorry… I shouldn’t be snapping. It just… hurts. I loved you… I loved you for so long and I’ve been fighting for months because of you and it turns out to be for nothing. It’s fucking worthless, and at this point I can’t tell if I’ll ever get you back.” He murmured, shaking as he fought to contain violent sobs.  
John watched as Smitty cried, heart aching and guilt weighing heavy on his shoulders. He reached out to him, trying to offer a shred of comfort, only to be deflected by Craig, who was trying hard to calm Smitty down.   
“I’m sorry…” John whispered, wiping at his eyes and standing up.   
“I’ll… I’ll leave you alone…” He coughed as he left the tent, heavy-hearted.


	9. Chapter 9

“Caaaaaam!”  
“Oh my fucking god… what Mason?!”  
“There’s nothing to fuckin’ do here!”  
“For the last time cunt, chill out! Just because there’s no rats to chase like the city doesn’t mean you’ll die of boredom.”   
Mason groaned and glared at Fitz.  
“You’re such a square…” He mumbled.  
Fitz sighed and shook his head.  
“Yeah, yeah, whatever. Entertain yourself, you chimp. I’m not gonna do it for you.”   
Mason grumbled and brought his knees up to his chin, idly tracing shapes in the dirt with a stick Swagger threw at him. He was hungry, bored, and half the others had left for firewood or rations, leaving him, Fitz, some of Smitty’s friends, and a half-asleep Toby to themselves. Glancing around the dimly lit campsite, he saw the two men they rescued propped up against a log.  
“Oi Cam, are we gonna wake up the weird cunts yet or nah?” He asked.  
Fitz groaned.   
“Whatever Mason, wake them up if you want. Just fuck off.” He snapped, rubbing the palm of his hand over his face,

Mason grinned to himself and scurried off, crouching down in front of the man in the red jacket.   
“Be careful! They could be still hostile!” One of Smitty’s friends called from across the campsite.  
“Whatever, I’ll be fine…” He replied, rolling his eyes.  
The person sighed and shook his head.  
“Alright then, I’m steppin’ in if they freak though.”  
Mason grabbed the man in the red jacket and shook him, crouching back away as he woke up.  
“Wh.. what? What’s going on?” The man asked, eyes wide and frantic.  
“Oh, g’day cunt. How ya doing? Name’s Mason, we just pulled ya outta paradise n’ brought ya back here. You’re welcome.”  
“Paradise? What do you mean? What’s going on? Where the fuck am I?” The man started to panic, breathing growing erratic. 

One of Smitty’s friends came over, pinching the bridge of his nose.   
“Christ sake… let me handle this.” He murmured, nudging Mason out of the way.  
“Alright then, Evan, was it? My name’s Brian. Right now, you’re outside of the city at our base. We rescued you from paradise, a digital world designed to trap you. Whatever you saw in there, it wasn’t real. I need you to try and remember who you were before they took you.”   
Evan took a moment, staring at Brian confusedly.  
“No…” He mumbled. “No, I was right there! It was real, it had to be, it has to be! This is just… some kind of sick prank.”  
Brian winced.   
“I’m sorry, man. It wasn’t real. I don’t know what you saw, but it was fake.”  
Brian and Mason watched as Evan’s eyes filled with tears, his hands and lip trembling slightly.   
“Can you… describe what you saw?” Brian asked.  
Evan nodded.  
“I uh, I was at my hometown in the winter, before the city. My friends were there too, and this lady who got me whatever I wanted.”  
“Can you remember anything before that? Anything at all?”  
Evan bit his lip, shaking his head.   
“I can remember…. I think it’s something about the colour blue. I don’t know…” He mumbled.  
Brian nodded.   
“Right, right. Well, hope you remember soon. Make yourself comfortable around here, for now.”  
Evan nodded, standing up and dusting himself off. He looked around briefly before heading towards the woods.

“Can I wake up the other one now?” Mason asked, grinning slightly.   
Brian rolled his eyes.   
“Let me do it, it’s pretty fuckin’ clear you can’t.” He grumbled, gently shaking the masked man awake.  
“What the fuck! Get offa’ me!” The man yelled, lurching forward and swinging punched wildly.  
“Oi, chill out cunt!” Mason cried, ducking under a blow sent his way.   
He tackled the man to the ground and wrestled with him, forcing him down and holding his arms in place. The man started to kick, flailing around and shoving Mason back. The two fought for a moment, until Brian pulled Mason away, keeping the crazed man at a distance.  
“Stay out of this.” He ordered, lightly pushing the Aussie away.   
He turned his attention to the masked man, who was currently backing away slowly, arms raised defensively.  
“Hey, hey, relax. Everything’s fine.” Brian soothed, grabbing onto the man’s wrists and pinning them to the ground.  
“Who the fuck are you?! What’s going on?!” He growled, glare piercing through the eye holes in his mask.   
“My name’s Brian. You're outside of the city in our base. We brought you here because you were stuck in paradise, a digital world designed to fool you and trap you. You're probably really confused, but I just need you to relax for me.” He explained, watching the man’s expression carefully.   
The man started to shake slightly, knuckles white and breaths uneven.   
“Can you tell me your name?” Brian asked quietly.  
“Jon. I go by Delirious.”   
Mason scoffed.  
“Delirious.” He hummed. “Fairly fitting, eh cunt?”  
Brian cleared his throat.   
“Can you remember anything? At all?” He asked.  
Jon paused for a moment, scratching the back of his neck.   
“No. It’s all… fuzzy.”   
“Right. Make yourself at home here.”  
Jon nodded, taking in his surroundings with caution.

Mason got up and sat around the campfire, complaining and poking Fitz with a stick to pass the time. After what felt like years, he heard shouting and swears in the distance.   
“Oh, fuckin’ finally!” He exclaimed, running towards the woods to where Swagger, Jay and Matt stood, all with numerous logs and twigs in hand.  
“Hurry up and put it on the fire already! I’m starving.” Jay laughed, running off and dumping his pile into the fire pit.   
The others followed, retrieving various cans and packages. Swagger lit the fire, arranging various pots and meats over it.  
“Come get ya food boys!” Mason hollered.   
Slowly, others emerged from the tents. Smitty and Craig came last, Smitty’s eyes blotchy and downcast. Marcel and Tyler exchanged a concerned glance, but said nothing. Eventually, John reluctantly came up to the fire. He stood around awkwardly, avoiding eye contact and sitting as far from Smitty as possible. Fitz could see Smitty tense up, knuckles white as he gripped his jeans tightly. The atmosphere of the campfire had grown thicker, and the tension in the air was practically visible. Tyler was first to break the silence.  
“So… what happened to those dudes you saved?” He asked through a mouthful of canned fish.  
“Oh, Mason got bored and woke them up. Nearly got himself killed when he woke up one of em’” Fitz chuckled, playfully elbowing Mason’s side.  
“Yeah, Brian shook him n’ he just fuckin’ dived at me! Strong cunt, too.” He grinned, showing off the red marks and bruises littering his arms.  
Smitty chuckled softly, listening to Mason ramble on about wrestling and his childhood fights. It was nice to see everyone else lively and happy, even if he wasn’t. He saw John smiling slightly too, although he looked more pained than happy. 

Smitty watched as he grimaced, rubbing his temples and stepping back from the fire. He shook his head and groaned, curling into himself.   
“John? You okay bud?” Craig asked, concern etched into his face.  
John nodded, mumbling something about a headache through clenched teeth. He got up, stumbling forward towards the tents.   
“I’m just… going to lie down.” He groaned as he unzipped the tent clumsily, falling inside and closing the flap.  
“What’s wrong? Will he be okay?” Smitty asked, biting his lip.  
“He’ll be fine, I think. Usually they get headaches when remembering, although his is worse than usual. Something must’ve happened in his paradise that made it harder to get past the block.” Brian replied.  
“Is he… will he remember soon?”   
Brian shrugged.  
“No clue. Hope so, but it varies.”  
Smitty nodded, fists clenched in anticipation. He couldn’t be bothered waiting, but at least he had some good news.  
“It’ll all work out Smit, I promise.” Craig smiled softly.


	10. Chapter 10

John winced and gritted his teeth, head in his hands as he tried to steady himself. The world seemed to spin around him, and his skull felt as if it was closing in on his brain. He cloud barely think or move. Flashes of colour and fragments of images rushed through his mind at a million miles an hour. He threw his head back and suppressed a groan. The tent was too bright, his breathing too loud and the pounding of his pulse too intense. The sound of a gun, a pair of 3D glasses and the feeling of hitting concrete swarmed his mind. Light flooded his tent as the opening was unzipped, a person he couldn’t see through squinted eyes poking their head in.

“John? You alright?” Smitty asked.  
No, no, no. Not him…  
John forced himself to nod  
“I-I’m fine.” He hissed through gritted teeth.  
“Are you sure? I can get you someth-“  
“I’m fine!” John growled, cutting him off.   
Smitty flinched, stepping backwards with his hands raised.  
“Sorry… I’ll, uh, leave you alone.” He coughed, backing out of the tent.  
“Wait-!”   
John stumbled forwards, taking a step before collapsing onto the ground. He cried out in pain, breath knocked out of him and nausea consuming him.   
“Fuck…” He hissed, struggling as he tried to sit up. 

The sound someone crying out to him filled his ears. He couldn’t see them or recognise their voice, but he could hear them. They were yelling something about being spotted, about guards and sedation. He heard his own voice respond, screaming at them to run.   
He clamped his hands over his ears desperately.  
“Make it stop, make it stop!” He sobbed.  
The voices grew louder, consuming his thoughts. Scattered fragments of conversations, laughter and jokes were all he could hear. As the noise grew to a crescendo, the speaking changed, growing into a single conversation.  
“John, come on! You’re practically begging for us to be seen in that shit! Can you please just get a different hoodie? For me?” The voice whined.  
John heard himself chuckle.  
“Don’t give me that puppy-eye shit. You’re one to talk, Mr. ‘orange hoodie and 3D glasses.’ Let’s just fuckin’ go, it’s only a rations run.”  
The voice sighed.   
“Fine, fine. Whatever. If we get seen it’s your fault, you know?”  
“Relax, Smit. We’ll be fine.”  
Smit… Smitty? Why was I with Smitty?  
John tried to concentrate, bringing his thoughts towards his memories. He could barely make out a few details, like looking through translucent windows. His head pounded as he thought and focused. If he pushed far enough, he felt his mind go blank, as if he hit a brick wall. He cried out in frustration, throwing his head back and tugging his hands through his hair.

Outside the tent, Fitz and Smitty were sat at the fire, poking at dying coals or half-burnt logs with a stick.  
Fitz winced as he heard John yell, biting his lip.  
“Not havin’ a good time, is he?”  
Smitty shook his head, elbows on his knees and head resting on his palms.  
“It’s so… fucked. It’s so painful to recover, all because of them. It’s bullshit.” Fitz spat, glaring into the distance.  
“I know.” Smitty mumbled.   
Fitz bit his lip, clenching and unclenching his fists. Anger bubbled up inside his chest. He took a deep breath in, steadying himself.   
“We can’t just… sit here and let this go on.” He exclaimed, standing up abruptly.   
He started to pace, arms folded behind his back.  
“I’ve seen this go on for too long. I saw Mason nearly beaten to death by them. I saw Swagger immobilised from his memory loss. I saw my own brother get taken. I’m sick of it! I can’t just… keep standing here and hiding!” He rambled.  
Smitty brought himself forward on his seat, captivated by his words.  
“I mean, what’s going to happen if we stay here? Just waiting for some kind of miracle from a fucking higher power? Nothing. We have to do something...” Fitz continued, voice gaining volume as he spoke.  
The Misfitz poked their heads out of their tents, coming over to the fire to listen.  
“He’ll go on for hours when he’s worked up like this, just you watch.” Jay chuckled to Smitty.

As Fitz went on, more people trickled towards the campfire, watching as he paced. Smitty could feel the atmosphere of the camp change, people nodding along and smiling. When Fitz finished, the campfire erupted into cheers.   
“Dude, hell yeah!” Tyler yelled, a wicked grin on his face.  
Craig looked cautious but hopeful, watching him cheer with a small smile.  
“You guys are the biggest fuckin’ idiots I’ve ever met. I’m so in.” Marcel grinned.  
“Hey, hey, hey. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” Toby cut in, “How are we even going to do this? There’s like twelve of us, and who knows how many guards? Do we even have a plan? Are we sure it’s a good idea?”  
“Go in, shoot cunts, find the leaders, shoot more cunts, get out, win, celebrate and get hammered! How’s that for a plan?” Mason laughed, throwing his arm around Toby’s shoulder.  
Toby rolled his eyes, smiling slightly.  
“I’m serious, Mason.”  
“So am I!”  
“Mason, it’s practically a death wish! We can’t be sure it’ll go right at all.”   
A few people around the camp nodded, murmuring about dumb ideas.  
“I thought it was a good plan.” Mason grumbled.  
“Hey, it’s a great plan!” Nogla grinned, high fiving him.  
Craig sighed.  
“Listen, we aren’t going without a real plan. Do we even know where they are?”  
Mason sighed and threw his head back.  
“Fuckin’ square…” He murmured.  
“I’m just saying, there’s no point in risking our lives for the slightest hope of this.”  
“Come on Craig, chill. We’ll worry about it later.” Fitz shrugged.  
“That’s what we do here at Misfitz. We wing it! Now. Are you all in, or not?” He grinned.

The Misfitz nodded, smiling brightly with determination shining in their eyes.  
“You bet your ass I’m coming!” Tyler cheered.  
Craig rolled his eyes fondly.  
“Suppose I’ll come too. Someone needs to take care of you fucks.”  
Brian and Marcel nodded to each other, counting themselves in.   
“After that speech, I’m in.” Smitty chuckled.   
Evan bit his lip anxiously, murmuring a small ‘I’m in.’  
“I’m comin’ if I get a gun!” Jon exclaimed.   
The campfire was filled with laughter, cheering and determined looks. Fitz stood back and looked on with a smile.  
“You know how to hype a crowd up, eh?” Smitty laughed, smiling as he watched.  
Fitz chuckled and nodded.

Through the clutter of a dozen voices and cheers, Smitty heard a tent open and footsteps approach. John was standing there, hair mussed up and eyes sunken. He smiled slightly when he saw the scene in front of him.  
“Don’t forget about me.” He grinned. “I’m in.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s the first part of the book finished! The second part will be focusing on the revolution. I’ve finally got a sense of where I’m taking this book and I’m super happy about it! Updates may be a bit more frequent now that I know what I’m doing. Stay tuned for part 2!  
> -L

**Author's Note:**

> Please tell me what you think! Love you all and thanks for reading! -L


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